What You Should Know About the Marx Library at USA: A Quick Guide: Home

Welcome!

This guide is designed to be a quick introduction to all the things you need to know about the USA Marx Library and were afraid to ask! If you are new to college or returning after a break, an academic library can be an intimidating place. But don't worry, the librarians and staff at the USA Marx Library are here to help!

Check this guide for an answer to your question; if you don't find it, please ask a librarian by either calling us at 460.7025, stopping by either the reference desk on the 2nd floor or the Circulation desk on the 1st floor, emailing us at webref@southalabama.edu, or chatting us using the chat widget on this page.

Should I bring my Jag Card to the library?

Yes! Consider your Jag Card as your pass to the library; it's everywhere you want to be! You will need your Jag Card to check out books and enter the Computer lab. Don't leave home without it!

How do I check out books?

Your Jag Card is your library card. How easy is that? Use it to check out library materials at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor of the library.

Can I use the library from home?

You can access both the library's catalog, SOUTHcat, and all of our databases from anywhere using your J number and your Jagmail password. For more information see the wonderfully informative LibGuide: Accessing Resources from Off Campus for everything you will every need to know about using library resources remotely.

Do you have my Textbook?

Short answer: Probably not.

The Marx Library does not buy textbooks for classes at the university, but occasionally we will have a copy of an older edition. However, you can only check these out for 4 weeks, which is only 1/4 of a semester. Sometimes your professor may put a copy of the current text on course reserve at the circulation desk for your use in the library. However, we recommend that students purchase all required textbooks.

Additionally, you cannot receive textbooks via InterLibrary Loan. Lending libraries do not usually lend textbooks and, again, the lending period is only 4 weeks.

Does the library provide group study spaces?

Yes, we do. Group study rooms are available on a first come, first serve basis. These rooms are located on all floors.

Where is the fiction section?

The Marx Library does not have a specifically designated fiction section, but that does not mean we don't have fiction titles.

You may be familiar with your local public library, which probably had a separate fiction section, but we're a little different--we are an academic library.

Yep, that's right; there are different types of libraries.

Libraries that are part of an institution of higher learning (like USA), such as a college or university, are known as academic libraries. The mission of an academic library is to support the curriculum and research needs of its students, faculty, and staff. Because of this focus, the collection (the books, journals, etc.) of an academic library differs from that of public libraries. Generally speaking, this means fewer bestsellers and how-to books and more scholarly publications. The public library is still the place to go to pick up your beach reading, but if you're working on an assignment for class, an academic library is where it's at!

Ok, but you want to know if we have other fun stuff for you to read. Again, the answer is yes! We do have some fiction and these titles are shelved with the other library items according to the Library of Congress Classification System.

For info on the Library of Congress Classification System, check out this LibGuide.

Can I print in the library? What about copy machines?

The quick answer is yes to both!

You can print a regular black and white page from any computer in the library; all you need is a TRACcard. TRACcards can be purchased from the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor. This reloadable card is $0.50 and printing is $0.10 per page.

The library also offers color printing in the 3rd floor Computer Lab only. Each color printed page is $.50.

The library also has copy machines available. These also use a TRACcard.

Questions? Ask a librarian or staff member.

What is Course Reserve and how do I use it?

Course Reserve is something your professors and instructors use to provide access for their students to information used in courses. Much of this information is available electronically. To access this infomation, click on"Find Course Reserve" on the library's homepage.

Choose either your instructor, department, or course number from the drop down menus.

Electronic Reserve items require a login: your J Number and your Jagmail Password. After you enter this information, you must accept the copyright agreement to go on to the document.

Click on the Title in your list of results to access the document.

It's that easy!

Does the library have wireless?

Does the library have computers that I can use?

Yes, the library provides both public work stations, a computer lab, and 10 PAWS Reference computers for student use. Public work stations are available on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the library. They can be used to access the internet and library resources.

If you need to write a paper, work on a powerpoint presentation, or print an Office document you will need to use the Computer Lab, located on the 3rd floor in Room 312, or one of the 10 PAWS Reference computers located across the back windows on the 2nd floor North (in the Reference Area). You will need your Jag Card to get into the Computer Lab. To access the PAWS Reference computers, you will need a barcode on the back of your TRACcard. These barcodes can be gotten at the Circulation Desk.